Gregor the Halberd of Carnage

Overview

Gregor the Halberd of Carnage is a mandatory story boss in Crimson Desertencountered during the Where the Wind Guides You quest in Act Eight. The fight takes place at Fort Ironclad in Hernandwhere Kliff arrives searching for Woosa. Gregor is a single-phase boss, but do not let that fool you into expecting an easy encounter. His halberd gives him reach that outranges every melee weapon in the player's arsenal, his armor absorbs punishment, and the arena is rigged with arrow disperser traps that fire continuously from the walls.

Despite being a single health bar fight, Gregor has a reputation for being one of the more grueling bosses in the campaign due to his high damage output and the constant environmental pressure from the arrows. Expect a prolonged battle.

Gregor is described as a loyal aide of Bastiera warrior who earned Bastier's complete trust through countless battles. He was dispatched to the Iron Fortress to keep Duke Wells in check. Beneath the title and the reputation, he is a soldier following orders, which makes the confrontation at Fort Ironclad all the more difficult. He does not fight for ambition. He fights because he was sent.

Gregor, the Halberd of Carnage, is the captain of Gregor's Soldiers and a formidable warrior who captured Fort Ironclad. He wields a halberd with devastating speed and precision, making him one of the more challenging human bosses in the game. Players encounter him during Chapter 8 of the main story in the quest Where the Wind Guides You.

Boss Stats

Combat Stats

The following are Gregor's numeric combat statistics as confirmed by current community data. His Defense value of 100 explains why the fight feels so drawn out, as every hit is absorbed before it translates into meaningful health loss. His Knockout threshold of 750 is high enough that stagger-focused strategies require sustained effort rather than a single burst.

Equipment

Gregor wears a complete set of plate armor bearing his name, and wields the Carnage Halberd as his primary weapon. This is the same weapon responsible for his extended reach advantage in combat. The full equipment list is as follows:

Skills

Gregor has one listed passive skill:

• Boss Large Human (passive): Designates Gregor as a large human-type boss. This classification affects how he responds to grapples, knockdowns, and crowd-control abilities. Large human bosses are generally susceptible to well-timed grapple attempts, which deal additional stagger buildup.

Arena and Environmental Hazards

Fort Ironclad's arena is a courtyard flanked by walls equipped with arrow disperser traps. These traps fire volleys of arrows on a periodic cycle, marked by red indicators on the ground before impact. The arrows deal moderate damage and can stagger you mid-combo, breaking your attack chain at the worst possible time.

Before engaging Gregor directly, destroy the arrow disperser mechanisms on either side of the arena. If you skip this, you will be fighting two threats at once for the entire duration. With the traps destroyed, the arena becomes a standard one-on-one duel.

If you cannot destroy the traps, an alternative approach is to raise your shield when you see the red arrow indicators and absorb the damage. It costs stamina but keeps you alive. Just be aware that blocking arrows while also trying to defend against Gregor's halberd will drain your stamina bar fast.

Attack Patterns

Strategy

Dodging is more effective than blocking or parrying in this fight due to Gregor's speed and the environmental arrow traps. Wait for him to finish an attack combo, then land a few quick hits before retreating. When he activates super armor mode (glowing blue), do not attempt to attack; focus entirely on dodging until the sequence ends.

Use Force Palm to stun Gregor whenever possible, then chain attacks with quick slash combos. The Crow's Pursuit Abyss Core pairs well with these openings for burst damage. Combine it with the Nature's Echo skill, which duplicates heavy attacks, to maximize damage output during stun windows.

Force Palm Stunlock

The most effective approach is to play passively and wait for windows to land Force Palm. A successful Force Palm staggers Gregor, and you can immediately follow up with Crow's Pursuit and a full heavy attack combo. This sequence can stunlock him for several seconds, dealing massive damage in a single burst. The challenge is finding safe moments to get close enough for the Force Palm.

The best openings for Force Palm are: after he finishes a Triple Swing Combo (he pauses briefly at the end), after a Halberd Smash recovery, and after a Dash Attack sequence ends. Of these, the Dash Attack ending is the most reliable because his recovery animation is the longest.

Parry Approach

If you prefer a more aggressive style, Gregor's Halberd Stab and the first hit of his Triple Stab Combo can be parried (see Dodge, Block, and Parry). A successful parry gives you enough time for a quick combo. The parry window is small though, and mistiming it against the Halberd Smash or Impaling Spear will cost you most of your health bar.

Defensive Approach

The safest strategy overall is a hit-and-run pattern. Dodge his combosland one or two attacks during recovery windows, then back off. It takes longer, but Gregor only has one health bar, so there is no Phase 2 to conserve resources for. Use your full supply of food and potions as needed.

Stay mobile. Gregor's turning speed is slow for a humanoid boss, so circling behind him after a dodge is effective. His reach means you need to roll further than you would against shorter-weapon bossesa single backwards hop is usually not enough to clear the halberd's range.

Preparation

Spear weapons are worth considering for this fight specifically. Gregor's halberd outranges swordsand a spear closes that gap somewhat. If you have been upgrading a spear alongside your sword, bring it.

Crow's Pursuit is the standout Abyss core for this encounter. The summoned crows track Gregor even when he dashes away during super armor, continuing to chip away at his health during phases where you cannot safely engage.

• Equip Tier 3-5 equipment comparable to Chapter 7 gear

• Bring 30 to 40 meals, primarily Chewy Rice Cakes from Ronnie at Greymane Camp

• Focus stats on Health and Stamina

• Recommended Abyss Cores: Crow's Pursuit, Crimson Rose of Sin, Wind Slash

• Use the Anvil and Grindstone before the fight to sharpen equipment

Tips

• Destroy the arrow disperser traps before engaging Gregor. This turns a chaotic multi-threat fight into a clean duel.

• If you see Gregor raise his halberd vertically and pause, dodge immediately. That is the Impaling Spear telegraph, and getting hit by it takes 75% or more of your max health.

• Gregor's Dash Attack can hit you multiple times, but you can dodge while standing up from a knockdown. Mash the dodge button if you get caught.

• Blocking the Halberd Stab is safe and gives you a guaranteed counterattack window. Do not try to block the Smash or Triple Swing, though.

• The fight is long because of Gregor's heavy armor reducing your damage output. Stay patient. One health bar with low damage per hit still adds up if you stay alive.

• Keep an eye on your stamina at all times. Running out of stamina while Gregor starts a combo is one of the most common ways to die in this fight.

Background

Gregor earned his fearsome title through his skill with the halberd and his willingness to use extreme violence to achieve his objectives. As the captain of his own military force, he seized control of Fort Ironclad and established it as his base of operations. His soldiers are fiercely loyal, and his presence in the fort creates a significant obstacle for anyone attempting to pass through the area.

During the events of Chapter 8, Blood Coronation, Gregor stands between the player and the witch Woosa, who must be rescued and returned safely to her elder sister, Maegu. The confrontation with Gregor is unavoidable, as he blocks the path to Woosa's location within the inner chambers of the fort.

Location

Gregor is found in the inner castle room of Fort Ironclad. The boss arena is notable for its environmental hazards: wall-mounted arrow traps that fire throughout the entire fight, adding an extra layer of danger on top of Gregor's already formidable combat abilities. Red warning markers indicate incoming arrow volleys.

Boss Fight

Gregor is the 107th main quest encounter, appearing in Chapter 8's Ashen Steps sub-chapter. Despite having only a single health bar, his extreme speed and the constant environmental damage from arrow traps make this a demanding fight.

Key Attacks

Aftermath

After defeating Gregor, the player exits the boss arena and encounters Woosa, a witch wearing a purple dress, outside the chamber. The mission objective then shifts to escorting Woosa safely back to her elder sister, Maegu, completing the Where the Wind Guides You quest.

Trivia

• Gregor is one of the few bosses whose arena features persistent environmental hazards throughout the entire fight.

• Despite having only one health bar, many players consider Gregor harder than some multi-phase bosses due to the combined threat of his speed and the arrow traps.

• His title, the Halberd of Carnage, reflects both his weapon of choice and his reputation for brutality.

Database Stats

Combat attributes recorded in the game database for HALBERD.